Magnolia Shorty
Gov't Name: Renetta Lowe
Age: 28
Birthdate: Sept. 30, 1982
Repped: New Orleans
Affiliates: Soulja Slim, Birdman, Lil Wayne, Juvenile, the Hot Boys
Notable Releases: Album:
Monkey On The D$ck (1997); Single: "Magnolia $horty" featuring B.G. and Juvenile; Guest Appearances: Juvenile's "3rd Ward Soulja," Hot Boys' "Blood Thicker"
Date of Murder: Dec. 20, 2010
Status of Case: Suspects indicted
One of Cash Money's first female artists, Magnolia Shorty was
shot to death at the age of 28 while sitting in a car in her own New Orleans neighborhood. Having made a name for herself as a local bounce artist in the city, Shorty gained recognition for her
work with fellow Cash Money artists Juvenile and the Hot Boys in the late 1990s. In the middle of the day on
Dec. 20, 2010, the MC had pulled her car into her apartment complex when another car blocked her vehicle from behind; two men got out and
fired more than 50 rounds through the car windows, hitting Shorty
26 times and killing her and 25-year-old passenger Jerome "ManMan" Hampton.
Nearly three years later, a gang member named Gregory "Rabbit" Stewart
admitted to federal prosecutors as part of a plea deal that he was involved in a plot to kill Hampton, the intended target of the 39ers, an alliance of the 3-N-G and G-Strip street gangs. A month after Stewart flipped, four men—McCoy "Rat" Walker, Terrioues "T-Red" Owney, Rico "Freaky" Jackson and Tyrone "T-Bone" Knockum—were
indicted on two counts each of second-degree murder in the killings. In June 2015, all four, along with nine others, were named in a
45-count RICO indictment that included the murders of Lowe, Hampton and 10 additional victims. —
Dan Rys
M-Bone
Gov't Name: Montae Talbert
Age: 22
Birthdate: Sept. 17, 1988
Repped: Los Angeles
Affiliates: Cali Swag District
Notable Releases: Group Album: Cali Swag District's
The Kickback (2011); Single: Cali Swag District's “Teach Me How To Dougie”
Date of Murder: May 15, 2011
Status of Case: Unsolved
Immortalized by an
infectious dance craze, Cali Swag District’s M-Bone was all about having fun. The group’s debut single, “
Teach Me How to Dougie,” shot M-Bone and the rest of the group to fame in 2010 and propelled the release of their 2011 debut album,
The Kickback, via Spinx Music Entertainment. In the late night hours of Sunday, May 15, 2011, Bone was
killed in a drive-by shooting on the 400 block of North La Brea Ave. in Inglewood, Calif. Talbert was found by police seated in the driver’s seat of a black vehicle with
two gunshot wounds to the head. Although no one identified the shooter, witnesses report that the gunman pulled up alongside Talbert’s car and began to fire.
Talbert’s girlfriend claimed that a man living in their apartment complex in Inglewood was jealous of M-Bone’s success in the music industry and made threats of violence towards the MC, but
no arrests have been made in the case. Three days after his death, Cali Swag District released the song, “
How To Do That”
in his honor, which was later included on their 2011 mixtape,
Deeper Than The Dougie. Police have
no stated motive in the murder. —
Sidney Madden
Tommy Hill
Gov't Name: John Wilson
Age: 36
Birthdate: 1975
Repped: Philadelphia
Affiliates: R.A.M. Squad, Nelly, Sticky Fingaz
Notable Releases: Group Albums: R.A.M. Squad's
Operation Lock the City (1996),
Thee Album Regardless (1997),
Random Access Money (2001); Single: "Ballers (Up In Here)"
Date of Murder: Dec. 4, 2011
Status of Case: Unsolved
Controversial Philly MC Tommy Hill, who had gained notoriety in the late-1990s and early-2000s as part of the hip-hop group R.A.M. Squad, was outside Reuben's Marc Bar in his hometown of Philadelphia in the early hours of Dec. 2, 2011 when he was approached by
three masked gunmen and shot in a hail of gunfire. Hill was
shot in the chest and lower body and
died two days later at a
local hospital of his wounds. While the gunmen also robbed Hill, many thought the murder to be related to
testimony that Hill gave in a 2004 trial against a trio of drug dealers, with some labeling him a snitch after he received a two-year sentence for dealing drugs himself. Hill had
denied the snitching allegations. There have been no arrests in Hill's murder. —
Dan Rys
Slim Dunkin
Gov't Name: Mario Hamilton
Age: 24
Birthdate: Aug. 20, 1987
Repped: Atlanta
Affiliates: Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame
Notable Releases: Mixtape:
Menace II Society (2011)
Date of Murder: Dec. 16, 2011
Status of Case: Unsolved
1017 Brick Squad affiliated rapper Slim Dunkin had a bright future in the rap game ahead of him before his
2011 death. Dunkin released his debut mixtape
Menace II Society that featured Southern heavyweights like Gucci Mane and Pastor Troy in 2011. But on Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, Dunkin got into an altercation with a man at a recording studio on Memorial Drive in Atlanta,
reportedly over a piece of candy, which led to a fistfight in the street. The scuffle ended when the man pulled out a gun and shot Slim once in the chest. Vinson Hardimon, otherwise known as the rapper
Young Vito, was indicted for the crime in 2011 but was
found not guilty. Vito was, however, convicted of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm and
sentenced to 25 years in prison. The case was unusual in the fact that the jury
convicted Vito of the assault that led to Dunkin's death, but not the murder itself. In late 2013, Hamilton’s father
sued Brick Squad founder Gucci Mane along with ABC CORP. and Warner Brothers Music in 2013 for wrongful death. —
Sidney Madden
Lil Phat
Gov't Name: Melvin Vernell III
Age: 19
Birthdate: July 25, 1992
Repped: Baton Rouge
Affiliates: Lil Boosie, Webbie, Foxx
Notable Releases: Group Albums: Trill Fam's
Survival Of The Fittest (2007),
All Or Nothing (2010); Mixtapes:
Life Of A Yungsta (2008),
Death Before Dishonor (2009),
Never Use A Pen Again (2011); Singles: "So Much," "Countin' Money"; Guest Appearances: Webbie's "Independent" and "Thuggin'"
Date of Murder: June 7, 2012
Status of Case: Solved
Melvin Vernell III, son of Trill Ent. CEO Melvin Vernell, Jr., was next in line for the successful
Baton Rouge-based label that had produced Boosie BadAzz and Webbie before him, first making his name with a guest spot on Webbie’s Top 10 hit “
Independent” in 2007. But before he could release his debut solo album, Phat was
shot multiple times in his car outside the Northside Hospital Women’s Center in Sandy Springs, Ga. while
awaiting the birth of his son on June 7, 2012 at the age of 19. Phat’s death was allegedly
related to a drug robbery involving four men and the Russian mob. On April 29, 2013, Russian mobster Mani Chulpayev was
accused of ordering Phat's murder and was arrested along with three other men, having
allegedly tracked Phat using GPS on his car. In August of 2014, Deandre Washington was
convicted of murdering Lil Phat, while two others, Gary Bradford and Maurice Conner, were
convicted of conspiracy and gang activity related to the case. Washington was sentenced to life in prison, Conner to 30 years and Bradford to 25 for the crime. On March 31, 2015 Chulpayev, who had turned FBI informant, had his
murder charges dropped in connection with the case due to the Bureau's mishandling of the case. —
Dan Rys
Lil JoJo
Gov't Name: Joseph Coleman
Age: 18
Birthdate: April 4, 1994
Repped: Chicago
Affiliates: Chief Keef, Lil Reese
Notable Releases: Singles: “3HunnaK (BDK),” “Put In Work,” “Tied Up”
Date of Murder: Sept. 4, 2012
Status of Case: Unsolved
Plenty of rappers emerged when Chicago's drill music scene exploded in the 2010s, led by Chief Keef, Lil Reese and Lil Durk, but JoJo was a member of a rival hip-hop collective that was making noise in different parts of the city. JoJo was shot in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood
while riding a bicycle in September of 2012 when n unidentified car pulled up to the 18-year-old, shooting him in the back at around 7:30 p.m. He was pronounced
dead at the hospital. Prior to his death, Lil JoJo posted a tweet that
appeared to identify his location, tweeting, “I'm on #69. I'm out here." He was said to have belonged to the Brick Squad gang and recently made a song called “3hunnaK,” which mocked rivals rappers the 300 squad—which included Chief Keef and Lil Reese. At the time of his death, Coleman’s beef with his fellow Chicago rappers was readily apparent. A YouTube video had been released days prior that showed JoJo mocking Lil Reese in the streets. Hours after his death, Keef came under fire for
mocking the young rapper’s death online, leading to speculation that he was involved. Police believe JoJo’s killing is linked to a war of words within the hip-hop community, while
JoJo's mother has publicly pointed the finger at Keef in the killing. No arrests have been made. —
Miranda J.
Lil Snupe
Gov’t Name: Addarren Ross
Age: 18
Birthdate: June 13, 1995
Repped: Winnifield, La.
Affiliates: Meek Mill
Notable Releases: Mixtape:
R.N.I.C. (2013)
Date of Murder: June 20, 2013
Status of Case: Unsolved
As one of the signees on
Meek Mill’s Dream Chasers label, Lil Snupe was on the rise. The Winnifield, LA native had released just one mixtape,
R.N.I.C, but was working on much more. On June 20, 2013, Snupe was
shot and killed while playing video games at a friend’s house. Five days later, 36-year-old Winnifield, La. resident,
Tony Holden turned himself in after police identified him as the shooter, saying he executed Snupe after the two got into an argument while playing video games; Holden was
charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery and illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On July 3, police arrested 21-year-old Edrick O. Stewart of Monroe, La. and
charged him with manslaughter in the killing; Stewart claimed he was
defending Snupe at the time of the MC's death. Little info has been released since the suspects’ respective arrests, though a 2014 report indicated that a
special investigator was still pursuing a grand jury indictment in the case. —
Vanessa Satten
Jimme Wallstreet
Gov't Name: James Davis IV
Age: 34
Birthdate: 1979
Repped: Philadelphia
Affiliates: Don Cannon, 50 Cent, Meek Mill, Lil Snupe
Notable Releases: Mixtape:
Twin Towers with Big Ooh! (2013)
Date of Murder: June 20, 2013
Status of Case: Unsolved
Jimme Wallstreet was
fatally shot on the steps of his mother's house in his hometown Philadelphia,
killed a day after the shooting death of Meek Mill's Dream Chasers signee Lil Snupe. Born James Davis IV, the Philly upstart was shot in the groin at 12:47 p.m. in the 900 block of East Church Lane; at 1:25 p.m., he was
pronounced dead at Einstein Medical Center. He was 34-years-old. Police think Jimme Wallstreet’s killing was targeted; they found seven shell casings at the scene along with a handgun magazine. Before the shooting Wallstreet dropped a mixtape with the Trenton rapper
Big Ooh! titled Twin Towers. Jimme performed at a Stop The Violence Rally in Philly a week prior of his death. There have been no arrests made since the shooting. —
Emmanuel C.M.
Doe B
Gov't Name: Glenn Thomas
Age: 22
Birthdate: June 13, 1991
Repped: Montgomery, Ala.
Affiliates: T.I., Juicy J, Young Dro, B.o.B, Kevin Gates
Notable Releases: Mixtapes:
Trap Life (2012),
Baby Jesus (2013), Hustle Gang’s
G.D.O.D. (2013); Singles: “Let Me Find Out (Remix),” “2 Many,” “Trap Muzik”; Guest Appearances: T.I’s “Kemosabe,” Kevin Gates' "Amnesia"
Date of Murder: Dec. 28, 2013
Status of Case: Suspects awaiting trial
After gaining momentum with his contributions to Hustle Gang's
G.D.O.D. mixtape, his work with T.I. and a solid solo offering titled
Baby Jesus, Doe B’s rising rap career was cut short early. The one-eyed MC was
fatally shot on Dec. 28, 2013 in his hometown of Montgomery, Ala. at the Centennial Hill Bar and Grill at the age of 22. Two days later, Jason McWilliam was arrested as a suspect; On Jan. 3, 2014 a second suspect, Darius Thomas, turned himself in. They were both
charged with three counts of capital murder in the deaths of Doe and two others during the shooting. Thomas grew up with Doe B and was even in Doe's music video for "
Let Me Find Out" in 2012.
Detective Andy Magnus testified saying witnesses said the incident came about after
Doe B wouldn't help Darius Thomas get into the club. Another factor in the shooting was Doe B and McWilliams’ bad history; McWilliams had stolen a bag from Doe that contained money and jewelry in the past, which
McWilliams admitted in a statement to police. A total of eight people were injured in the shooting; two other victims, 21-year-old Kimberle Johnson and 20-year-old Tim Hamilton, died from gunshot wounds. Montgomery County District Judge Jimmy Pool denied bond for Jason McWilliams and Darius Thomas on Jan. 29, 2014 and the two suspects are
still awaiting trial. —
Emmanuel C.M.
Blood Money aka Big Glo
Gov't Name: Mario Hess
Age: 30
Birthdate: 1984
Repped: Chicago
Affiliates: Chief Keef, Glo Gang
Notable Releases: Mixtape:
Drug Wars (2013); Guest Appearances: Chief Keef's “Boss shyt” and "fukk Rehab"
Date of Murder: April 9, 2014
Status of Case: Unsolved
Two weeks after
inking a deal with Interscope Records, Blood Money, who was a cousin of Chief Keef, was
shot and killed in the West Englewood section of Chicago and was found laying on a sidewalk with
at least 10 gunshots wounds. Hess was taken to Stroger Hospital following the attack where
he died at 10:29 pm. A 28-year-old who also shot at that time was taken to the
hospital with abdomen wounds. Hess had a lengthy criminal history including guilty pleas to drug charges in
2003 and 2013. That March, the rapper appeared on his cousin Keef’s “fukk Rehab” track, which garnered more than 13 million views on Worldstarhiphop in less than a month. According to his manager, he had been on the way to a studio and had stopped to speak to a few women in a car when two men
walked up and fired more than two dozen rounds, killing the MC. Police have
suggested jealousy as a motive for the murder, but no arrests have been made.—
Miranda J.
OTF NuNu
Gov't Name: McArthur Swindle
Age: 21
Birthdate: Oct. 15, 1992
Repped: Chicago
Affiliates: Lil Durk
Notable Releases: Single: “OC”
Date of Murder: May 31, 2014
Status of Case: Unsolved
Just a few months
shy of his 22nd birthday, OTF Nunu lost his life due to gun violence. The
cousin of Lil Durk was
shot in the Southside of Chicago while sitting in a parked white SUV at Chatham Village Square Mall at 3:20 p.m.; an
unknown assailant walked up to the vehicle and murdered the 21-year-old in a parking lot. The rapper did not die immediately after the attack and attempted to drive away, moments later
crashing into a B*Fresh Clothing storefront. He was pronounced dead at the scene and his body remained there
slumped into the early evening. A shooter was never apprehended. OTF Nunu was a student at Joliet Junior College at the time and was additionally pursuing his rap career. The murder came as a surprise to those close to him, as they could
not pinpoint what initiated the attack. Swindle’s father was also
shot dead in 1995. —
Miranda J.
The Jacka
Gov't Name: Dominic Newton
Age: 37
Birthdate: Aug. 12, 1977
Repped: Oakland
Affiliates: Mob Figaz, E-40, Mac Dre, C-Bo, Dru Down
Notable Releases: Albums:
C-Bo’s Mob Figaz (1999),
Jacka Of The Mob Figaz (2001),
Tear Gas (2009),
Broad Daylight (2010),
Flight Risk (2011); Singles: "All Over Me," “Glamorous Lifestyle”
Date of Murder: Feb. 2, 2015
Status of Case: Unsolved
Starting his career with
Pittsburg, Calif. group Mob Figaz, Jacka was the leader behind
C-Bo’s Mob Figaz before dropping his first studio album,
Jacka Of The Mob Figaz, in 2001. Known for his socially conscious street anthems, Jacka went on to drop four solo albums in total and work with many Northern Cali rap cohorts like Mac Dre and Dru Down. On the evening of Feb. 2, 2015,
Jacka was shot in the head on
MacArthur Boulevard in East Oakland. Witnesses did not describe the shooter, telling reporters that “
bullets don't have no name,” but did note that seven or eight people were hanging out rapping in a van with the Jacka standing outside on the sidewalk when the bullets flew. As of today, no suspects have been named in the shooting death, but the Bay Area continues to remember the MC with tribute concerts. —
Sidney Madden
Chinx
Gov't Name: Lionel Pickens
Age: 31
Birthdate: Dec. 3, 1983
Repped: Queens
Affiliates: French Montana, Diddy, Stack Bundles
Notable Releases: Album:
Welcome To JFK (posthumous, 2015); Mixtapes:
Cocaine Riot series; Singles: “Feelings,” “Couple nikkaz,” “I’m A Coke Boy”
Date of Murder: May 17, 2015
Status of Case: Unsolved
Although not yet at superstar status, the entire hip-hop world was in mourning when news spread that Queens MX Chinx had been murdered. The Coke Boys rapper was gunned down while driving in the Briarwood section of Queens on Sunday May 17, 2015 at 4:04 am. He was rushed to Jamaica Medical Center and
pronounced dead on arrival. Prior to the shooting, the rapper
performed at Club Red Wolf in Brooklyn and later, after
attempting to go to a hookah bar which was closed, proceeded to
drop off his friend Yemen Cheese, who was in the car at the time of the shooting, when bullets riddled his Porsche. The following day,
three men were taken in for questioning but were later released. There is no known surveillance footage of the murder. The NYPD has ruled that the case will be a
long-term investigation but to this date, have yet to come across defining evidence. Some have linked his murder to the 2007 killing of fellow Queens rapper Stack Bundles, though the investigation is still pending. Chinx’s posthumous debut album was released on August 14, 2015. —
Miranda J.
Young Ready
Gov't Name: Shannen Hudson
Age: 31
Birthdate: July 8, 1983
Repped: Baton Rouge
Affiliates: Lil Phat, Yo Gotti
Notable Releases: Mixtapes:
Goon Incorporated (2011),
Goon Related (2012); Singles: "What You Been Thru," "What Up"
Date of Murder: June 23, 2015
Status of Case: Unsolved
Young Ready was a consistent presence in the Louisiana music scene as the
founder of Bow Entertainment when he was shot and killed just
weeks before his 32nd birthday. According to reports, Ready was in Bogalusa, La. around 3:30 in the afternoon when he and a friend were both shot and killed within the city limits, reportedly while sitting in their car,
in what was described as a shootout. Police have not identified any suspects or released many details about the shooting, but Ready had been involved in some serious situations prior; in 2012, three men were
arrested for kidnapping and torturing a man while asking repeatedly for Ready's location. According to his manager, the MC had recently changed his name to Racked Up Ready and was
in talks about a label deal with Interscope Records at the time of his death. —
Dan Rys
Capo
Gov't Name: Marvin Carr
Age: 22
Birthdate: Apr. 22, 1993
Repped: Chicago
Affiliates: Chief Keef, Lil Durk, Meek Mill
Notable Releases: Mixtape:
Glo Life Or No Life 2; Singles: "Chiraq," "Hate Me"
Date of Murder: July 11, 2015
Status of Case: Suspect arrested
Capo was a member of Chief Keef's Glory Boyz label and Glo Gang crew in Chicago when he was
gunned down in a drive by shooting in the middle of the afternoon this July. According to police reports, Capo was on the street in the city's south side when a car drove up and a man shot Capo in the
hip and back around 1:45 in the afternoon. Video of the aftermath of Capo's shooting exists showing witnesses attempting to keep him conscious as they wait for an ambulance, but the young MC died shortly after arriving at the hospital. The two people in the car fled the scene and tragically, 20 minutes later, drove their car onto a sidewalk and
struck and killed a toddler sitting in a stroller. Police took the two in for questioning and days later
charged 21-year-old Antoine Watkins with murder and eluding police in connection with the toddler's death, but no charges were filed in the shooting of Capo. Authorities have said Capo's death was gang-related and Watkins is currently being
held without bail. —
Dan Ry
Dex Osama
Gov't Name: Byron Cox
Age: 21
Birthdate: 1989
Repped: Detroit
Affiliates: Meek Mill, DeJ Loaf
Notable Releases: Singles: "Death On Me," "Heavy"; Guest Appearances: Oba Rowland's "Lifestyle Pt. II (Remix)" featuring DeJ Loaf
Date of Murder: Sept. 7, 2015
Status of Case: Unsolved
Dex Osama was a local Detroit rapper who had started making a name for himself, getting a buzz in his city and
reportedly nearing a deal to sign with Meek Mill's Dream Chasers Records. But early in the morning of Sept. 7, 2015, the MC got into an
argument inside the Crazy Horse strip club in his hometown when a fight broke out; security reportedly pushed the group outside the club where
at least seven shots were fired, leaving Dex dead and a second person injured around 1:30 a.m. He was shot once in the chest and once in the stomach and had enough time to
run to a nearby gas station and call for help before succumbing to his injuries. Authorities are
still searching for his killer. —
Dan Rys
Read More: The Current Status of Every Murdered Rapper's Case - XXL |
The Current Status of Every Murdered Rapper's Case - XXL